“Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard.” 1 Samuel 1:13 Hannah was a remarkable woman. She lived during difficult times of political unrest and religious backsliding. Her husband, Elkanah, was married to two women, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah was the […]

“Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD.” Isaiah 38:2 Bad reports can be devastating. The doctor’s diagnosis is worse than we feared. We dread the pink slip that is coming any day. We can’t make next month’s rent. What do we do when bad news […]

“David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the LORD.’” 2 Samuel 12:13 David was a hero. In only a few years, this national idol went from shepherd boy to giant killer to king. David had everything, and in spite of the pomp and pageantry, he was an upright and […]

“Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)  Martin Luther wrote that we should pray with all boldness and confidence as dear children ask their […]

“Then they will cry out to the LORD, but he will not answer them. At that time he will hide his face from them because of the evil they have done.” Micah 3:4 They called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was […]

“When you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.” Matthew 6:7  How many words make a complete prayer? Does God prefer long prayers or short ones? If we use Jesus as our example, we find several answers. […]

“LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” Psalm 8:9 The wonders of God’s creation fill our hearts with amazement. So it is not surprising that the book of psalms includes many prayers that speak of the greatness of God. How refreshing it is to simply pray, […]

“Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” Matthew 15:28 If we look at the great Bible heroes, we see something in common —active faith. Their trust in God rises to such great heights we sometimes find it hard to comprehend. Abraham was asked to kill the son for […]

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 It had been a long day for Paul and Silas. Things didn’t go quite as they had hoped. It began with the fortune-telling girl taunting them again as […]

“As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15 Joshua was a man of great importance and had many responsibilities as leader of the Israelites. Yet of all the great things he said and did, there is one statement that stands out: “As for me and […]